Danelec Marine has introduced important new enhancements to its line of shipboard Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS).

The new enhancements include a universal radar overlay module that allows radar images to be superimposed on the electronic chart display, and a new conning display dashboard to give a concise view of the status of all navigational subsystems and sensors. Both are now available with Danelec Marine’s DM700 and DM800 G2 ECDIS products.

The radar processing unit (RPU) can be interfaced with most current radar systems from major manufacturers. It receives the data stream from the radars and converts it into a format for overlaying on the ECDIS chart display. A single RPU can be used to feed radar images to multiple ECDIS workstations on the ship.

“The radar overlay improves navigational safety and efficiency by making it easier for the ship’s officers to identify navigational aids, shoreline and the location and movement of other ships in the area in a single integrated picture,” said Hans Ottosen, CEO of Danelec Marine.

The conning display dashboard provides a concise summary of the status and performance of all connected navigation systems and sensors, such as gyrocompass heading, speed, water depth, engine RPMs, wind speed and direction, rudder angle and rate of turn.

“At a glance, the navigator has a quick view of vital navigation data on a large, easy-to-read dashboard display,” said Ottosen. “Presenting these readouts on a separate dashboard simplifies the navigator’s job by avoiding screen clutter on the main ECDIS chart display.”

“The RPU and conning display, like all of Danelec Marine’s modules are designed with Danelec Marine’s ‘future-proof’ technology for easy software updates and incorporate our exclusive SoftWare Advanced Protection (SWAP) technology that dramatically reduces the time and cost required for ship service and repairs,” said Ottosen.

Danelec Marine also announced that the DM700 and DM800 G2 systems have just received type approval certificates from the U.S. Coast Guard. The type approvals signify that the products meet all applicable technical requirements, including IEC 61174 Ed. 4, IHO-52 and IHO S-64 performance standards.